I have unexpectedly two spots come up on my previously sold out Western Australia Tour in September. We land at the height of wildflower season. We will shoot the stunning local areas around Albany and head further afield. After touring the whole South Western corner of Western Australia I can confidently say we will see the best of the area on this trip.

This is a unique opportunity.

You just show up with your camera and relax to take photographs. I will look after your accommodation, your meals, where and when we shoot. I will drive you around and help you with your photography.

“My pictures are never pre-visualized or planned. I feel strongly that pictures must come from contact with things at the time and place of taking. At such times, I rely on intuitive, perceptual responses to guide me, using reason only after the final print is made to accept or reject the results of my work. Although both intuition and reason are equally important tools that help me grow visually, the creative act itself comes from an intense, direct, one-to-one relationship between myself and whatever I photograph.”

“When I photograph, what I’m really doing is seeking answers to things.”

— Wynn Bullock

There is much talk here. in Australia, about this weekends general election. I jumped in early and did an early vote so I don’t have to listen to the crap that bombards is each day. Someone told me that there are so many pre poll voters they want to abandon the process. Apparently a million or so in the first week.

I can see why they would as they time announcing things to get you to change at the last minute each trying to out do the other. It is a sickening process to watch.

The saddest thing is no one is talking about what we will leave our children nor their children. Why isn’t their future out primary thoughts. Why do we as humans put our own welfare first.

Without clean water and a healthy environment we aren’t leaving much of a future. Today we approve more mines, more deforestation, more dams, facilitate polluters, give away our water and allow population to grow out of control.

When I voted two weeks ago I made a clear vote for the environment and for my son and his children. I hope you take the effort to take particular time with your preferences. The senate has such an important role as guardians of House of Representatives. Take the time to think beyond short term benefits and consider our future.

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

Beth Moon has been caught out cloning stars into her work when it was published in National Geographic over the last few days. Her first book of old trees taken on film is beautiful while her second of light painted trees with the stars is breathtaking. It is photographs in this second book she is suddenly in hot water over.

Her response about her assistant doing them in the process of stitching the panoramas is weak as they are clearly cloned in from different parts of the photograph and in at least one instance from another part of the world.

Disappointing to say the least.

The problem isn’t that creative photographers are using such methods, it is when they don’t bother to acknowledge them. When photographers put thier work in straight photography magazines and pass thier work off as straight photography and the general public notices.

The people who read National Geographic expect straight unadulterated photography. They, as a magazine, have been caught out before, the most notable is an issue with a piece of photo art on the cover and not a straight photograph.

Perhaps it’s time the magazine employed a photograph authenticity checker. Like some of the larger photography competitions in the world.

Own you work. It is really simple. Label it appropriately and no one minds. Pass it off as something else and, well, face the consequences.

“Well I'll tell you, I'll tell you what a photograph is. It's the illusion of a literal description of how a camera saw a piece of time and space. Consider this. What does a camera do? What does photography do better than anything else, but describe? To use it for anything else is rather foolish."

- Garry Winogrand

Emily’s opening is 1st of June. Saturday 2.30 pm. Thanks Thomas for pointing out the error of my ways.

Other good news is that I will be writing regularly for OnLandscape Magazine in the UK. Exciting times ahead. This means I can start planning some workshops in the UK again. I hope I can produce some interesting articles. In case you don’t know, I also write for Better Photography here in Australia.

This photograph is hot off the press from this mornings shoot on the sand dunes here. We had a perfect morning, with the strong winds yesterday and a quiet night the sand patterns were pristine. So many shots to show you.

This one jumped out at me. Nothing like some triangles to capture my attention.

We are having a great time. Lovely company, good food, luxurious accommodation and stunning locations. And some good teaching I hope.

Today we hung Emily Readers only remaining Blue Mountains photographs in a show at the NPWS Heritage Center at Blackheath. Govetts Leap Road to be accurate.

The show features her stunning panoramas of the Wolgan Valley and Kangangra Deep. Picking a favouite is almost too hard. The moon rise over Kangangra with its stunning blue hues stands out, as does a golden sunset on Dogface at Katoomba. I am also quite partial to a view over the Gross Valley, with Mount Banks in the background, which somehow we mislabeled as Kangangra. I have to laugh, we were both dyslexic. I was told to work off her ‘Key’ that was in the portfolio… Halfway through I found errors, and abandoned it in the end, the Key was probably to a different set of images.

I do love her valley shots with mist laying deep and still.

Each photograph in the show has been painstakingly reconstructed and reproduced. They are stunning.

The show will be open only for May and June 2019.

This exhibition is a tribute to her life. Something we discussed doing many times, yet for too many reasons was unachievable.

Not many talk about suicide. Yet we should. Em isn’t the first whom was very dear to my heart I have lost in this way. My family is riddled with them. Too many to count on one hand or list. Kat another in recent times, someone whom I also loved dearly. I haven’t heard a single person say she committed suicide. Why do we shun away from this harsh truth. To protect ourselves I suspect, but does this protect the others whom are considering self harm?

We need to talk about it.

Mental illnesses can be devastating. We spent many hours talking about it and her creativity. We tried to find solutions and creative ways to express her inner artist. I remember it being so strong in her when we first met. She was out with her camera at every opportunity. A commission by Wolgan Valley Resort saw her out for dawn shoots for months. She asked me to help her and to be a coauthor in the book, then later retracted the request. I was heartbroken.

Somehow I became a creative mentor, an outdoor companion and a very dear friend. Kasonde wanted to set us up as a couple as she thought we would be beautifully matched. That never happened, any meetings or passing’s awkward and short. I later became her assessor at TAFE. I was the gatekeeper for the Diploma in Outdoor Recreation in NSW. I designed the system based on questions and an interview as the primary means of evidence. The decision was easy, her skills, experience and knowledge far outstripped the many I had already accredited.

Her editing skills in photoshop were outstanding, yet her skills in managing her computer terrible. Her photographs weren’t backed up when all her photography equipment and computer were stolen.

Her father thinks this was one incident she never recovered from. Another was the unexpected loss of her mother, Kay.

At one stage we built a website of beautiful art works. Yet, for them to remain a viable back up one has to keep paying the yearly subscription. Can you imagine loosing all of your creative work?

In Em’s case, in the end she couldn’t find her peace or her creative mojo. Home became a trap of memories. She built the most amazing pottery studio, yet struggled to create in it. From her bed it stared at her, taunting her with possibilities, yet struck by inactivity and creative fear. Nowhere was peaceful. Medications deadened her soul. After a life full of the most amazing highs, and terrifying lows, steady was a boring flat line.

Em, was an amazing skier, flew paragliders, rode horses. Her pots were outstanding. An outdoor educator whom taught thousands of children the importance of community and a love for our environment. Blue Mountains Canyons were her backyard playground, visually, recreationaly and for inner peace.

We rarely talk about drug triggered psychosis. Marijuana was something she knew she should never return too. Yet, it would happen to easily. A couple of artists out the back while the kiln fired, or a lover whom was partial. Once she started she couldn’t stop until forced too by the inevitable psychosis that came.

I never did have to see her strapped to a bed, committed by police whom were probably out of their depth in dealing with her.

I always felt that it would end this way. Every time I saw her I sensed the spirallng downward. I always did everything I could to help. Talking, listening, planning.. But, it’s never enough is it. We try. We hope. Yet, we can’t fix someone else.

Em, you are missed. You are loved. You are an amazing inspirational person. We are all sorry you couldn’t feel that enough.

This show will be the only time you will see these beautiful art works. I urge you to visit.

Its so beautiful when I can feel a photograph rather than having it as an intellectual discourse. I get so caught up in my head. It is a big thing for me to let go of that rational left brain thinking and just feel.

I swear that the more creative and practiced at art I become the more emotional I become. As I age I am becoming more relaxed, hopefully more playful, and so much more in tune with my feelings and emotions.

The question really has to be, how do you take a photograph with your entire body?

It seems life has been very busy of late and it is unlikely to ease up for a number of weeks. Yesterday Shirley Steel and I worked all day on our book on Abstract Photography. It always amazes me how it’s easier to do things in creative partnerships than alone. We got through so much work yesterday. Am so proud of what we are doing together.

Nina is working hard on the second series of Articles of mine that she is editing for the second collection of my writing. Yes, I know the first still isn’t finished but is very close.

I have so many book ideas on the go. OMG. I really need a few extra hands and hours in every day.

Ben and I keep talking about some videos, they are still very much in the idea stage.

I am eagerly awaiting the first samples of some clothing I have designed with my work on them, while the shop in the Collective in Kiama continues to exceed my expectations. Something I couldn’t have done without the amazing input and support from Tash at the Collective.

Tonight I am talking at the Classic Safari Company about next years Namibia workshop and tour. Another trip that wouldn’t have existed without working in a partnership.

Thursday this week sees us hanging a show of my dear and late friend Emily Reader at the NPWS Heritage Center at Blackheath. This show will be on for two months. May and June. Stunning passionate colour panoramas of the Blue Mts, some particularly of the Wolgan Valley. A fitting tribute to her only remaining photographs. If only we had done something together when we had the chance. If anyone can help with telling people about it (marketing it), that would be appreciated. Once we have a date for the opening I will invite you all.

Collaborations are magical. They require you to leave your ego at home and really work hard at making something very special. They provide an opportunity for an enriching enthusiastic partnership. They work because one plus one equals more than two. The power is in the collaboration.

Actually, just working around others is worthwhile. I do so much fantastic work on trips away with other photographers. It’s one of the reasons I think people come to my workshops and tours. To hang out with others so that their enthusiasm rubs off.

I have offered a few internships in the past. I teach and mentor you in exchange for your hard labor helping me with my work. This allows people who can’t afford my usual educational offerings a chance to still learn from me. These are by application only.

Last week saw me in the Blue Mts, I have two more trips up there this week, before I head north for two weeks of ‘Creative Lens’.

Momo joins the family, a beautiful little Coton de Tulear. I assume he is, as he is a dead ringer for the breed. Walks with the dog and camera will be ahead for me. He lifts the energy wherever he goes. Unconditional love is beautiful.

Well, that turned into a newsletter. You can now correctly assume all is well for me.

to present on his fascinating career in photography, specifically in Namibia and across Africa.Woollahra on Tuesday 30th April Fine art photographer Len Metcalf will be joining us in

The intriguing ancient cultures, dramatic landscapes and iconic wildlife of Namibia make it a visual wonderland with an intensity of colour and pureness of the light found nowhere else on earth.

Len will share some of his secrets on how to create stunning images in this beautiful yet challenging environment, present a small collection of his work and give further details on hisupcoming instructional photographic safari to Namibia. The event is for people of all levels and photographic interests.

“It is a damned poor mind indeed that can't think of at least two ways of spelling any word.”

Andrew Jackson

I must admit I don’t understand why spelling upsets so many people. It’s so much fun to play with. Was such a frustrating disability to deal with at school and at uni. Sometimes I wonder how I did my Masters degree. To think I am now a writer.

Am so thankful for my editors. Though this blog and email is unedited. Please bear with me, with my strange grammar, odd punctuation and weird phonetic spelling. You might have noticed I transpose words regularly. The auto correct also messes with me. Dyslexia still pops up occasionally for me.

Eventually, these rambling notes will be sorted through and edited into a book. But for now, you get them straight from my phone.

“ Well, I suppose nothing is meant to last forever. We have to make room for other people. It’s a wheel. You get on, you have to go to the end. And then somebody has the same opportunity to go to the end and so on.”

- Vivian Maier

I drove past this spot yesterday and noticed that this stand of matchbook trees was gone. Some of the trunks were stacked up in a huge pile and I have no idea at all at what was growing in neat rows.

This particular stand of Paloweena Trees had been a magnet for photographers for a while now. Planted for harvesting in perfect rows.

We met the owner one day. Kylee fronted him about using it for her film. The owner was very obliging, particularly considering that every day people trespassed on his property to get photographs of it.

He said the stand wasn’t as valuable as he expected, because they hadn’t grown as straight as they could have.

One of the beautiful features of these trees is the huge lilac trumpet flowers that adorn them in spring.

Despite being grown for harvesting I was sad at their end. As I always am. They were a family. All gone in a few days no doubt. One day when we figure out how they communicate as a community we may shift our feelings for them. They do live as a community, communicating between each other. This seems to be a little known fact

Long after many animals are extinct trees will still be providing us with fresh oxygen and food. We owe our lives to them.

Sometimes our photographs serve as important documents of things past. This photograph does now. Moments in time, we capture fleeting moments and live them as memories Andrew Smallman said to me last night. How true this is for me.

“I don’t know where I’m going when I walk. I’ve learned to lean towards that uncertainty. It’s a really odd thing to embrace, but it allows me to exist in the present. The more uncertain something is, the more attracted I am to it. And the more it feels like home.”

- Diana Markosian, Magnum Photographer on how she photographs

Hopefully, I have already shared the sister photograph of this one. One of those peak photographic moments when everything came together. Out for a photographic walk. Light rain. Near the end of a workshop with Freeman Paterson in New Zealand, so I was very much in the perfect state of mind.

Finding this tree was the highlight.

I was just wandering up beside the creek. The creek pulled me closer to it.

I think I spent half an hour at this tree, but truthfully I have no idea. Time dissolved.

Afterwards, I struggled to take another photograph. Knowing these ones were so special. Nothing was as good.

Wandering is so important. Wander without certainty. Allow yourself to be pulled by intuition and curiosity and discovery.